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  • Tech - News
  • Updated: March 19, 2022

NASA’s SLS Moon Rocket Arrives At LaunchPad For Final Test Before Moon Mission

NASA’s SLS Moon Rocket Arrives At LaunchPad For Final Test

NASA's SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft it carries have arrived at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39B for its final test before the uncrewed (and delayed) Artemis I mission to the Moon.

The team is expected to conduct a "wet dress rehearsal" that replicates the mission short of liftoff, including the propellant load, countdown procedures and draining tanks. Although an actual launch is still some ways off.

The uncrewed flight test will pave the way for missions to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon under Artemis, and the rocket rolled to the pad for a final test before launch.

NASA administrator Bill Nelson said: “From this sacred and historical place, humanity will soon embark on a new era of exploration.

“Artemis I will demonstrate NASA’s commitment and capacity to extend humanity’s presence on the Moon – and beyond.”

The test is expected to help NASA set an exact target launch date for Artemis I.

The SLS won't stay out for very long., though, as the agency plans to roll it back to the Vehicle Assembly Building several days after the test.

There, crews will remove rehearsal sensors, top-up batteries, add "late-load" cargo and conduct final checks.

The rocket is expected to return to the launch pad about a week before the real launch, tentatively slated for May or later.

NASA officially began the development of the SLS in 2011 and spent over $23 billion (in 2021 dollars) on the project in roughly a decade.

It's also an important moment for Orion, which is edging closer to crewed flights.

The SLS will not only be used for Artemis missions but is expected to serve as NASA's primary deep space exploration launcher throughout the 2020s.

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